Graham Kennedy began work in 1950 as a panel operator for announcer Clifford Nicholls Whitta (Nicky, pictured left) at 3UZ in Melbourne. He joined him on air and it wasn't long before his popularity grew and Graham became a household name in Melbourne.

His first TV appearance – on a live radio and TV simulcast for the Red Cross fundraising appeal on 31 March 1957 – led to Graham being signed as host of the new late night TV show In Melbourne Tonight (IMT).

In 1956, Graham met another young radio announcer, Bert Newton (pictured on previous slide). Bert and Graham formed a partnership on television and radio that endured for decades.

He had a love for sketch comedy, which was the perfect vehicle for his acting talent early in his TV career. But film was what he aspired to - he likened it to 'travelling first class'.

After cameo roles in films like They're A Weird Mob (1966) and The Box (1975), Graham’s breakthrough as a film actor came in Don's Party (1976, pictured left). He followed it with dramatic roles in The Odd Angry Shot (1979, see previous slide), The Club (1980) and Travelling North (1987).

Interview with Ivan Hutchinson, 1979

Graham's Acting Career

Graham talks to Ivan Hutchinson about his transition from TV to film acting.

On The Big Screen

On the Small Screen

Graham Kennedy made a featured guest appearance on the TV sitcom Kingswood Country in 1980.

Click images to expand.

In 1983 Kennedy had a small role in the Australian mini-series Silent Reach, which starred Robert Vaughn. Kennedy played the laconic, alcoholic bush pilot, Chasser Fitzpatrick.

Graham Kennedy had a guest role in an episode of the Australia-USA family period drama series Five Mile Creek in 1983, playing 'Walker The Hawker', a bumbling, inexperienced travelling salesman.

A lot has happened in the last three years.

The cows are not as sacred.

Graham Kennedy

'Aaaaark'

Graham never shied away from controversy and was not afraid to criticise authorities, studio executives and censors.

His imitation of a crow call on live TV landed him in hot water with the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, because it sounded too much like a certain expletive that was still taboo in 1975. The stunt led to Graham having to pre-record his shows instead of performing them live.

Left: Graham is given a drawing of himself as a crow by an audience member on The Graham Kennedy Show

The Graham Kennedy Show, 1973

A lot of people say he was a recluse. He was private and he was shy but that doesn't make someone a recluse.

Bert Newton

The 'Real' Graham

Close friends say the TV legend loved by audiences was a far cry from the private and somewhat shy person they knew.

In the book Graham Kennedy: Treasures, close friend Tony Sattler says of Graham, ‘The naughty boy persona was an elaborate facade. Graham in his life was conservative, fastidious, ultra polite to women. In fact he hardly ever did tell dirty jokes.’

Previous slide: Graham at his home in Frankston, Victoria
This slide: Graham with Bert Newton

People would drive him mad

In Private

Photographs and Memories

Autographed photo of Graham and Rover 'the Wonder Dog'. The photo was given to the wife of Australian film legend Ken G Hall, then General Manager of TCN 9. Graham's labrador, Rover, was a regular on In Melbourne Tonight during live commercials for Pal dog food, often causing chaos on the set. Courtesy Nine Network.

Graham was an excellent cook and loved to entertain his small circle of close friends at home. Courtesy Seven Network.

Graham’s famous attention to detail extended to taking a Polaroid of his breakfast tray setting for housekeeper Sally Baker-Beall.

Graham had impeccable manners as illustrated in this handwritten ‘thank you’ note to his long-time writer and friend, Mike McColl Jones and his wife Val. Courtesy Mike McColl Jones.

Rubber stamp once owned by Tony Sattler. Graham ‘stole’ the NIL INTEREST stamp shortly after he retired to Canyonleigh and used it to reply to contract offers sent to him by mail and fax.

An Akubra hat belonging to Graham, worn in his later years on his Canyonleigh, New South Wales, property.

Graham's Order of Australia medal. Awarded posthumously in January 2006.

Engaged?

In 1973 the Sunday Observer printed a story announcing that Kennedy was set to wed Australian-born singer Lana Cantrell.

The news sparked a media frenzy and Cantrell appeared on The Graham Kennedy Show the following week to perform and talk about the engagement.

Not surprisingly, it was later revealed that their 'engagement' was a stunt, orchestrated by Kennedy to see how far he could manipulate the press and, some say, to shut down rumours surrounding his sexuality.

En route to Europe in 1961, Graham has a stopover in India where he meets a young mother and her baby girl, who takes a liking to Graham’s sunglasses. Courtesy Bill Beams / Nine Network.

Graham Kennedy made a stop in London during his 1961 trip. He is pictured here with the Palace of Westminster in the background. Courtesy Bill Beams / Nine Network.

Ken Sutcliffe pictured with Graham Kennedy and Ken's dog, Sam. Ken co-hosted Graham Kennedy'sNews Show in 1988. (The show had a name change in 1989 to Graham Kennedy's Coast to Coast, with John Mangos as co-host.) Courtesy Nine Network.

Graham and Bert perform a skit on The Graham Kennedy show involving a lot cream pies. Courtesy Nine Network.

Acknowledgement of Country

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.